Nadhim Zahawi squirmed in the Commons today as he was hammered by Tory MPs over 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory' plans for Covid passports.
The vaccines minister was assailed by a host of his own side as he answered an urgent question on the proposals for using certification in nightclubs and other venues.
Faced with barbs that he was talking 'rubbish' and did not really back the policy, Mr Zahawi admitted that it caused him 'pain' to 'curtail people's freedoms'.
But he insisted it was not 'normal times' and the measure would be dropped as soon as possible.
The Government has confirmed it wants to introduce vaccine passports for nightclubs by the end of September.
The scheme would see members of the public required to show proof they have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to clubs and other large-scale events.
Nadhim Zahawi squirmed in the Commons today as he was hammered by Tory MPs over 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory' plans for Covid passports
Senior Tories Mark Harper (left) and William Wragg (right) were among those rebuking Mr Zahawi over the Covid passports policy today
Mr Zahawi said the policy is 'designed to reduce transmission and serious illness'.
He added: 'No-one in this Government, certainly not this Prime Minister – it is not in his DNA to curtail people's freedoms or require people to show a piece of paper before they enter a nightclub.'
Mr Zahawi tried to lighten the mood of the chamber by referring to Michael Gove's recent antics in a Scottish nightclub.
'The reason that we are moving forward on this is because, if you look at what has happened in other countries where nightclubs were opening and then shutting again, opening and shutting again, we want to avoid that disruption and maintain sectors that can add to people's enjoyment of life and dance, as it did for the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Michael Gove).
'That they can do so sustainably, the reason for the end of September… is because by the end of September all 18-year-olds and above would have had the chance to have two doses.'
He added: 'It is not something… we do lightly, it is something to allow us to transition this virus from pandemic to endemic status.'
But Conservative MP William Wragg said: 'What a load of
